Young Monaghan boys vital to Oughterard’s superb run

RYAN Monaghan, who turned 18 last November, might be the youngest player on the Oughterard team, but unusually, he’s also the most experienced when it comes to playing at Croke Park.

A key member of the 2019 Galway minor football team, Monaghan starred twice at GAA HQ last summer; against Meath in the semi-final win and again in the agonising loss in the decider to Cork’s late goal. “It’s unbelievable up there, the dressing rooms are unreal, the whole atmosphere is class,” he said of Croker.

Any tips for his teammates, who are Croke Park novices?

“Just think of it as another game. It’s supposed to be enjoyed. The whole thing about football is it’s supposed to be enjoyable, have fun and win. You don’t want to think of it as a massive occasion. Just another game, go out and play your best and hopefully get the win,” he said.

Sage advice. Hard to believe it’s from a lad who will sit his Leaving Cert this June. But he’s been showing leadership beyond his years all season.

Apart from one incident in the semi-final – “In the first minute I gave a shocking hand-pass. They almost got in (for a goal). I was crapping my pants!” he recalled – Ryan Monaghan looked like a seasoned campaigner, relishing the responsibility of marking one of Templenoe’s quality forwards, captain Brian Crowley.

Some of that is attributable to the input of sports psychologist, Tony Óg Regan. “You have to be mentally prepared. You have to go in with the right mindset. We’ve been doing that all year. Even from the first championship game against Clifden we’ve been thinking about our preparation before the game. The week in advance, what are we going to do, what are we going to eat, how is our sleep, all these important things. We say that if we go out there with the right preparation, we’ll do it,” said Monaghan.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app

The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.